Inside the 12-Year ‘Boyhood’ Reunion at AFS Cinema With Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltrane
The cast and crew celebrated the anniversary of the acclaimed coming-of-age drama while supporting AFS' campaign for a third theater
Writer-director Richard Linklater reunited with “Boyhood” stars Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltrane at AFS Cinema on July 18 for an anniversary celebration of the acclaimed coming-of-age film. The evening included a red carpet, screening and live Q&A moderated by Austin Film Society (AFS) Lead Programmer Lars Nilsen. The recorded conversation will accompany participating screenings during a nationwide theatrical rerelease beginning July 31 and later appear in a presentation on Sundance Now.
Filmed in Austin, Houston and across Central Texas from 2002 to 2013, “Boyhood” follows Mason Evans Jr., played by Coltrane, from childhood through his first days of college. Rather than cast different actors or rely on makeup to convey the passing years, Linklater reconvened the performers for several days annually, allowing their real-life growth to become part of the story.
Speaking with TRIBEZA on the red carpet, Linklater discussed the role of time in cinema and how it has shaped the structures of his films.
“Time is the essence,” Linklater said. “It’s the one unique element of cinema that can be manipulated and dealt with in a way that other art forms (cannot).”
That interest extends throughout his career. Linklater’s “Before” trilogy revisits characters played by Hawke and Julie Delpy at nine-year intervals in “Before Sunrise” (1995), “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013). He is also filming an adaptation of the Broadway musical “Merrily We Roll Along” over a 20-year period, with production expected to continue until about 2040.
In “Boyhood,” the production method created more than a record of its actors growing up. The film became a time capsule of the early 2000s and 2010s, with each chapter carrying traces of the technology, music, politics and popular culture that defined its moment.
The film also preserves an earlier version of Austin. Local viewers can spot the Continental Club and Magnolia Cafe, along with views of a downtown skyline that has since changed dramatically. The Frost Bank Tower appears to dominate the cityscape before newer, taller high-rises reshaped the view.
Celebrating the film’s legacy and AFS’s future
“Boyhood” received six Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Awards, including best motion picture, drama. Arquette won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance as Mason’s mother, Olivia.
During the Q&A, Hawke praised Coltrane’s natural performance as the heart of the film.
“The essence of you is the film,” Hawke told Coltrane. “It’s built on the soul and beauty of a remarkable person.”
Arquette, meanwhile, highlighted Linklater’s willingness to keep the camera on children as they process divorce, alcoholism and instability at home.
“A lot of American films don’t do that,” Arquette said. “They don’t let kids linger for a moment, a few more frames.”
The reunion also supported AFS’s $250,000 campaign to add a third theater with upgraded seating, 4K digital laser projection and 7.1 surround sound. Tickets were available through a special giving opportunity benefiting the project.
“This expansion allows us to increase screenings and showtimes while creating even more opportunities for audiences, filmmakers and film lovers to connect,” AFS CEO Rebecca Campbell said.
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